Nightingale
by 4everandalwaysme
Summary: Gallagher and Blackthorne do another exchange with...another spy school? For JessRobStar's challenge: My Spy School
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This is for Laugh-a-lot-Martian's challenge: My Spy School. Enjoy!**

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I sat on the roof of Nightingale Insitution. Every night, I come out here to be alone. When you're like me, you never get time to yourself. There's always something to do, people to please. That's why I don't mind staying up late. It't the only time I can have without people bothering me.

My name is Aria Evans. I go to the Nightingale Institution for Special Young Women. Basically, civilians think we're mental. But in a lot of ways, we aren't. You see, there are these two schools. One of them is a spy school called the Gallagher Academy. The other is Blackthorne Institute. They are like complete opposites.

Gallagher's cover is a school for rich snobs. Blackthorne's cover is that it's a juvenile institute. Gallagher is for spies. Blackthorne is for assassins. Nightingale is completely classified. More classified than both schools. My school is in Washington D.C.

The main difference between my school and the other two is that we know about them. They don't even think we exist.

I stood up and walked into my dorm. My three roommates looked up. Katrina, Dawn, and Jessica are my best friends. Luckily, they're my roommates too. Ok. Let's skip introductions and I'll just tell you about them.

**_Katrina Dare -_**

_Nickname: Kat_

_Codename: Hurricane_

_Personality: Tough, likes to fight_

_Best Class: Protection and Enforcement_

**_Dawn Kinsley -_**

_Nickname: None_

_Codename: Viper_

_Personality: Sassy, low-tempered, humorous_

_Best Class: Disguise and Deception_

**_J__essica Reed -_**

_Nickname: Jess, Jessie_

_Codename: Hawk_

_Personality: Optimistic, social, loves flying and skydiving_

_Best Class: Countries of the World_

As for me, I guess you'll find out. My best class is Covert Operations. My codename is "Shadow". I guess you can already tell why I'm great in CoveOps because of my codename...

The next morning, the headmistress of the school called our attention.

"Ladies, I have an announcement. I want the junior class to report to my office right now."

We followed her out. When she led us inside, I saw Ms. Cameron on the couch. I looked at her, but she just winked. Ever since we learned about Gallagher and Blackthorne, she's visited pretty often. She's in the secret service and Rachel Morgan is her sister. Rachel is the headmistress at Gallagher and her daughter is Cameron Morgan. I could go on and on about their lives, but I'm sure you know most of what I'm allowed to say. The rest is classified.

Abigail Cameron stood up. "Pack your bags. Some of you will have to move into different moves. Gallagher and Blackthorne Juniors will be coming."

Before we left, she called us back. "Can Aria, Jessica, Katrina, and Dawn stay back for a second?"

We watched everyone else leave. The door closed and she turned to us with a glint in her eyes.

"You four are going on a little mission" she announced. A smile played at the corners of my lips. "Details?" Dawn asked.

"You will be tailing the students of Gallagher and Blackthorne."

"Too easy" Kat said. "We did that last year when Blackthorne tailed Gallagher. You said they would learn about us if they caught any of our agents. They didn't. What makes you think they'll do it this year?"

I ignored her and stared at Abby. What's the catch?"

She grinned at me. "Each of you will be tailing one Blackthorne Boy and one Gallagher Girl."

I nodded. This shouldn't be too hard. Unless I get the Chameleon. She wasn't that hard to watch last time, but I know she's improved a lot. Now, she's nearly impossible to tail.

Abby handed us folders. "These are the people you will be tailing. Be careful."

I led the way to our room. I opened my folder. Guess who I got? Of course, I got the hardest part yet. I have to tail both Cameron Morgan and Zachary Goode. Great. Just great.

At least I know what this means. They think I actually have a chance to complete the mission. Unfortunately, I don't agree. They are both great agents. Besides, she's one of the best field agents out there...I just hope I can make it.

**Cammie's POV**

Mom stepped up to the podium during breakfast. "Cameron Morgan, Rebecca Baxter, Macey McHenry, and Tina Walters, please come to my office immediately. I smiled at Liz and followed my friends to my mom's office.

When we were seated on the leather couch, I looked at her and Mr. Solomon.

"So...what's up?" I asked.

"You four were chosen to go on a CoveOps mission. We're going to D.C. I'll give you your mission objective there. Go pack your bags. You won't be coming back until the end of the semester."

We all stared at him, shocked. We're not coming back? Where are we going? We took the folders from the desk and ran to our rooms. Liz was already in there, working on her laptop.

"I can't believe I'm going to have to survive without you guys!" she said.

We all stared at her for a few seconds before checking ourselves for the bugs. We each had two on our clothes.

"Oh, Mrs. Sutton. I don't think so. You will be going with them, but you will stay in the helicopter and work from behind your laptop." We spun around to face Solomon.

"REALLY? YESSS!" she jumped up and hugged him before blushing and composing herself.

We opened our folders and I gasped. We were partnered with the Blackthorne Boys.

And surprise, surprise. I had Zach. This is going to be fun.

Thirty minutes later, we had our bags packed and we were standing with Tina by the helicopter pad. Solomon stepped out of the black helicopter and motioned us in. On the ride to D.C., we listened for our instructions. Our objective is to get to the Ruby Slipper Exhibit without any tails.

"So...just like last year?" I asked.

"Nope. This time, the boys are on your side. There will be some...friends of mine tailing you. And they're good. Use everything I've taught you to get rid of them."

Hours later, we descended. When we stepped out, there were five boys standing there. One was lanky with glasses. One was unfamiliar. One resembled your average Greek God. The last one was standing with his arms crossed and a very familiar smirk plastered on his face. Zach.

**Aria's POV**

I had visual on the subjects. I stayed at a distance until they started walking off. No matter what, I am going to pass this assignment.

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**A/N - Well? Like my start? I know I did! I'll give a penny for your thoughts! Metaphorically, of course...**

**Forever and Always,**

**Me**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Yeah, I'm back! I'm sorry if you wanted me gone longer, but you can't get rid of me that easily. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter!**

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**Aria's POV**

I followed Cammie and Zach around unnoticed until it was almost time. Only a few more minutes and I would have completed my mission. It's just too bad that in the spy world, a few minutes is all it takes for everything to change. I took my eyes off of Cammie for a second, and when I looked back, she and Zach were gone.

_This girl is GOOD._

**Cammie's POV**

At the last minute, I found a chance to get away from my tail, so I took it. I saw her looking around for me. Exactly at 5, me and Zach were at the exibit.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Morgan, Mr. Goode. You have successfully completed the task at hand. Now back to the helicopters" Solomon said.

On our way back, Zach turned to me. "So, Gallagher Girl, miss me?"

I rolled my eyes. "As much as I missed the makeovers from Macey."

He smiled. "Just admit that you like me."

"I'll admit that when I admit Bex can drive."

I heard her yell at me through my comms unit, so I pulled it out.

"You and I both know that you like me and Bex can't drive to save her life."

He winced and pulled his comms unit out. I guess Bex heard that too. "Why do you think I like you, Mr. Goode?" I questioned.

Instead of answering, he kissed me for the second time. I didn't push him away or hurt him in any way. When he pulled away, he leaned in and whispered, "That's why."

Mr. Solomon came up to us and crossed his arms. "I want to talk to you two. Leave any bugs or comms."

We searched ourselves and cleared the bugs off. Then, we followed Solomon away from our peers.

"Mr. Goode, Mrs. Morgan, you two are the only ones who have completed your tails. Therefore, I will allow you to meet up with your tails. I'm sure you will have a lot to talk about."

We got to the van our tails were supposed to be in. We stepped in and there were four girls sitting in there. They smiled and introduced themselves.

Then, the van started moving.

"I'm Kat," the one in the far left said.

"I'm Dawn," the girl with the rebellious look said.

A girl with a huge grin on her face said, "I'm Jessica. But just call me Jess."

I nodded at them. I looked to the quiet one in the corner. The one who had the _look_ of a pavement artist. And the attitude. She stayed quiet, studying us before smiling and sticking a hand out.

"Aria."

I smiled back. "I'm Cammie."

**Aria's POV**

I kind of feel bad for them. I have to keep more secrets and she's already gone through so much. You see, Nightingale isn't exactly a school like Gallagher or Blackthorne. Gallagher teaches defence. Blackthorne teaches things on the offensive side. Nightingale...teaches both. But on much, much higher terms. We aren't assassins. We're spies, trust me. But we're trained on a much higher level than both schools. Basically, it's harder. And more secretive. And more dangerous.

The bad thing about it was that we are a secret to the entire world. Nobody even thinks we exist. You have to have at least a level 9 clearence before being able to find out about us. Of course, only a FEW of the people with this ranking can know. There's something about Nightingale that people just can't know about.

**Cammie's POV**

"So, where do you go to school?" I asked.

"Nightingale Academy for Specials," Dawn said.

Kat rolled her eyes. "They make us seem like we have mental disorders so that we can keep our cover. Kind of like you guys."

"I never knew there was another school..."

"Well, there are a lot of them. We just happen to be more secret than you. It's not a bad thing. You guys are taught really well. I can't believe you actually beat Aria! She's one of the best."

I saw Aria put her mask on and try to hide. I smiled warmly at her.

I knew right away that she was a pavement artist.

I knew right away that she's good.

Most importantly, I knew that she was like me.

"So, Aria, what's your codename?" Zach asked. For once, Zachary Goode didn't know something!

"Shadow," she replied.

He nodded. "What for?"

"Kinda self explanatory, don't you think?"

I laughed. "So...what's your school like?"

Aria raised an eyebrow. "I guess you'll see for yourself."

And the van doors opened.

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**So...anyone think they know what the school is like? Come on, GUESS!**

**Review and I'll update!**

**Forever and Always,**

**Me**


	3. Chapter 3

**You get a little more about Aria in this chapter...Man, it feels REALLY good to be back.**

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**Aria's POV**

They're really gonna see my school...For some reason, I feel kinda self-conscious. I mean, this is _my_ school! They live in mansions and huge buildings, even if it is dark and depressing. But me? Nope. I live in a normal looking school. Or...as normal as our cover gets.

Cammie and Zach were trailing behind us, holding hands. Jess nudged me.

"Don't they look so cute?" she asked, a smile plastered on her face. I faked a smile.

"The cutest."

But, on the inside, I was jealous of Cammie. Of course, I don't have any romantic feelings for Zach, but I want someone that cares about me. I want a parent like she has. I don't want to have my life sometimes. You wouldn't either if you were like me.

I'm just a parentless, invisible girl with nobody left in the world except my friends who don't even know my past. But that's exactly why I'm in this business. I don't want some innocent victim to end up like me. Even _Zach_ has someone. He has Cammie. But me? I was raised by my older sister, but she died years ago. I. Have. Nobody.

**Zach's POV**

There's something wrong with Aria. She seems a little off...like she's hiding something.

And I'm going to find out what it is.

I know, I know. You're probably thinking it's none of my business, but you know what? I have an answer to that.

I'm a spy. It's what we do.

**Aria's POV**

Zach keeps giving me weird looks. It's like he's looking straight through my mask and right at the real me. The weak, broken, needy little girl that's been hidden away for so long. I think he knows I'm faking all of this. Maybe he _is_ more like me than I thought.

I know for a fact that he wears a mask of his own and only takes it off in front of Cammie. But I can't do that even in front of my best friends. I've kept to myself for so long, it's like I have to dig deep inside of myself just to catch a glimpse of the real me. The one I should already know, but I don't. The one that is like a complete stranger to me.

"Ari, are you okay?" Dawn asked from beside me. I turned my head away from Zach and towards her, only to see her giving me a questioning look. I faked a smile.

"Yeah. I was just wondering..."

She motioned for me to continue.

"Well, they didn't mention anything about the living conditions. What rooms did they clear out?"

"Very observant, Mrs. Evans," a voice said from behind me.

"Oh, hey Abby," I replied, smiling. She nodded at me and turned to face her niece.

"Hey, squirt. Do I get some love too, or does Zach get all of it?" she teased. Cammie's face turned bright red and I laughed.

I heard the helicopter land in front of the school, so I knew that the rest of the students were here.

Cammie went to hug Abby, then I saw the others step out of the helicopter. They came up to us and stopped in their tracks when they saw Abby.

"ABBY!" Liz, Macey, and Bex shrieked in unison as they ran up to her and engulfed her in a hug.

"Hi girls." She turned to the boys and nodded to them, ignoring Zach.

_Hm...I bet she has something against him..._

**Covert Operations Report  
**_Summary of Surveillance_

Agent Evans (hereby known as the Operative) noticed some hostility going on between Agent Cameron and Zachary Goode. The Operative has a few theories:

1. She doesn't trust him because of the whole "assassin" thing.

2. She doesn't approve of him dating her daughter.

3. She doesn't think too highly of his mom's business (considering the fact that his mom is a terrorrist).

_I'll have to look into this matter further..._

"As I was saying, Ms. Evans," Abby said to me. "We cleared out the rooms in the West Wing."

I narrowed my eyes. "But that's where _our_ room is..." I said, gesturing to me and my roommates. We're the only students at Nightingale that live in the West Wing.

"Well, now you girls have some company in that corridor."

I sighed and left the group of people and wandered the halls. Nobody stopped me. It's not like it's unusual.

I found myself heading up to the roof. I pushed in a discolored tile on the wall and a passageway opened up. I stepped in and went through the pitch-black space to the entrance of the roof. When I was finally out in the fresh air, I took a deep breath and shoved my hands in the pockets of my jacket.

"What are you doing up here?" I asked, knowing someone was up here with me. I don't know how...I just felt it. And a spy should always trust their insticts.

I turned around and came face to face with Zach Goode. He shrugged.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"You might be able to do this at Gallagher and Blackthorne, but not with me. Answer my questions with a straight answer."

"I was exploring, looking around. You?"

I sighed and turned to look at the grounds of Nightingale. "Sorry, but that's classified information."

"Why? I just ask why you're up here."

"Exactly."

And with that, I turned and left the roof. I went to my room, but I immediately regretted it when I opened the door. I guess Kat, Dawn, and Jess decided to invite the girls in.

"Hey, you must be Aria," Liz said. I smiled and nodded. I thought up excuses as to why I could leave right away when I spotted my desk. I walked over to it and pulled out a handgun. Usually, we don't use guns because we should be able to defend ourselves without it, but I learned how when I was little, and I take it out sometimes to practice.

I turned towards the girls. "I'll see you all later," I said before heading to the door.

"Wait, what do you need that for?" Macey asked. I looked at it then at her.

"Just practice."

"You guys are allowed to have guns in school?" Liz asked, eyes wide.

I nodded. "We learn weaponry and enforcement before you guys."

Kat sighed. "She just likes to practice out in the field."

Bex smiled brightly. "Can I come?"

I didn't want to say no, but I kinda wanted to be alone... "Sure."

She jumped up and followed me out. "Anyone else wanna come?" I called from over my shoulder.

Kat and Dawn both shot up and raced towards me. Cammie and Macey stood up too, but Liz and Jess didn't move.

Don't get me wrong, Jess is amazingly coordinated, but she would rather use her free time in the helicopter area. Here at Nightingale, we have lots of freedom. Jess goes out and jumps out of the planes sometimes just to make sure she's ready for the real deal. To be honest, I think she just wants an excuse to freefall from 2,000 yards up.

I waved at the two of them before the door closed and we headed out. When we reached the front doors, I stopped.

"Should we invite the guys?" I asked, just to be polite.

They seemed to think about it. "I guess," Kat said.

When I turned around to go get them, I didn't flinch in surprise when I saw Zach, Grant, and one of the other boys standing behind us (even though I really really wanted to scream).

The guy who I didn't know held a hand out to me (because, evidently, the rest of the girls stepped back). "I'm Tristan. And you are?"

I shook his hand. "Pretty sloppy for a spy, don't you think?" I joked. He grinned.

"Well?"

I shrugged. "That's classified information."

Kat groaned. "Just tell the kid your name already!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm Aria. Aria Evans."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too."

And then, I led the eight of them out to the field.

_Gosh, I need to learn to say no._

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**I felt so sorry to you all for making you wait so long, so I wrote an extra long chappy :) Well, long for my standards ;)**

**REVIEW if you want UPDATES!**

_**Forever and Always,  
Me**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I like this story a lot more than I thought I would. Special thanks to JessRobStar for starting the challenge and supporting me through it!**

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**Aria's POV**

I let Kat and Dawn help everyone find the equipment while I went to the farthest lane. I raised my gun and aimed at the closest target. I shot each one perfectly until I heard a voice behind me.

"Impressive."

I missed the center by a few millimeters and turned around to glare at Zach.

"What do you want? Go practice," I snapped.

"I don't need the practice," he said with his usual cocky tone. I rolled my eyes and turned away from him. Right when I was about to shoot, his voice interrupted me again.

"I think you should adjust your stance."

I looked down at my feet, then at him. "What?"

"Bend your legs a little more," he said simply. I did as he said and shot, getting a bulls-eye. I turned to him and grinned.

He just smirked, making my smile drop. I put the gun away and started walking off.

"I'm gonna go..." I muttered.

"Ari, wait!" Kat called. I smiled at her, but continued walking until I was on the other side of the field.

Zach is way too familiar...I just can't put my finger on it...

**Zach's POV**

I think I know her from somewhere. Is she part of the Circle? Will she tell Cammie about my mom? What if she wants to hurt Cammie? I have to find this stuff out...

When she walked away, we practiced until it was time for dinner. Even though we've been here for a couple, hours, none of us really know our way around. Not even Cammie. I decided to go exploring the place after everyone goes in for the night.

**Aria's POV**

Kat and Dawn came into the room after a few hours.

"Hey, Ari. What's the deal with you and Zach?" Dawn asked suspiciously. I shrugged.

"No. Way. Do you like him?" Kat asked, her eyes bright with excitement.

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at her like she was crazy. And, in a way, she is.

"NO! It's just that...I think I know him from somewhere."

"How do you know?" Jess questioned.

"I just get this vibe. A feeling. And a spy should always trust their instincts," I pointed out.

"Quit quoting Joe," Kat groaned.

"Why? He's one of the best, and I like the advice he gives," I defended.

"Of course you do. He _is_ your uncle."

_Yeah. The uncle that I haven't really spoken to in years..._

"Well, it's almost time for dinner. We should head out," I said, getting up.

"Don't think we're done with you!" Jess called.

Dawn, Kat, Jess and I came out of the room and I gasped in surprise. Just kidding. We're trained professionals. I gotta admit though, that I was kind of shocked to see Zach, Cammie, Bex, Liz, Macey, and Jonas standing in the hall, discussing something in hushed voices. I was even more surprised that I didn't notice them out here earlier. They turned around to face us, and you could tell that they were trying to hide something.

"Hey, guys. We were just…um…" Liz started.

I held my hand up to stop her. "It's okay. If we aren't supposed to know, then I won't push it."

Zach smirked. "Aren't spies _supposed_ to try to find out things they aren't supposed to know?"

_And how would Mr. Assassin know that? Stupid know-it-all…_

"Yes, we are, Zachary. Now if you'll excuse me," I turned to my right and walked down the hall, towards the Dining Hall.

You remember how I said we're supposedly a school for mentally challenged? Well, we have to have the looks, so our cafeteria is pretty simple. The walls are plain white, the tiles are a pale blue, and everything else is nothing fancy. Every eye was on me as I entered the Dining Hall. Not.

I'm the Shadow, remember?

Not a single person payed any attention to me while I was walking through the quiet area. Tina, Grant, and Tristan were the only exchange students in the room, considering I left the others with Dawn, Kat, and Jess. The doors opened when I was by the food, and they walked in.

Jess and Dawn went to sit down while Kat came up to me. She grabbed two plates, while I grabbed one, holding an apple in my other hand. We filled them with food and went up to our roommates, who were sitting with Cammie, Zach, Bex, Liz, Jonas, Macey, and Grant, along with a few other Nightingale girls.

I handed the plate I was holding to Dawn, just as Kat handed one of hers to Jess. This is how it was for the four of us. Every day, two of us would grab the food while the other two could sit down and relax. I bit into my apple and started to walk off when I was stopped.

"Ms. Evans, I advise you to stay in the Dining Hall during meals," a voice said from behind me. I turned around to come face to face with Joe Solomon himself.

"Mr. Solomon, you act like I'm gonna disappear when I wander off," I joked. He kept his poker face, but I saw through it. He was biting back a smile.

Abby came up to us. "Knowing you, there's a possibility that you could sneak off campus."

I grinned. "I wouldn't sneak off campus. I did that once, but I learned my lesson."

"Then where do you go when you disappear?" she asked.

I shrugged. "That's classified information, Agent Cameron."

She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Classified my butt."

I laughed and turned around again. I was just about to open the door, but this time, Jessie stopped me.

"Hey, Ari?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you stay in the cafeteria today? You should get to know some of these people a little better…"

I sighed. Jessie was always one of my very few weaknesses. She knew exactly how to get me to give in. "Fine," I sighed.

When I sat down, they weren't really talking. I rolled my eyes and decided to start some conversation.

"What's the point of staying back if there's nothing to talk about?" I asked, knowing exactly what my friends would do.

"There's TONS to talk about!" Dawn argued.

"Yeah. Like our first day of classes! Can you guys believe that we're going to have Mr. Solomon teach CoveOps here?" Kat piped in. This started a heated debate about who the better Agent is: Solomon or Abby.

The topic changed constantly, from teachers, to subjects, to random stuff we were thinking about. It finally ended when the teachers cleared us out so we could head to our rooms for bed.

And that's when I snuck out.

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**I hope you all liked this chapter!**

**REVIEW!**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! You guys get more info on Aria in this, but it doesn't explain everything...**

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**Aria's POV**

I got to the roof and a gust of wind hit me. Shivering, I pulled my jacket closer around me. My bare feet were silent as I crept across the cool cement of the roof. A few cobwebs stuck to my clothes, but I ignored it; Instead, I concentrated on the feeling in my gut, telling me someone else was here.

And I knew exactly who it was.

"You shouldn't be here, Zach," I said quietly.

"And you should be?" he asked.

"I _live_ here," I countered.

"For now, I do too."

I turned to glare at him. "I don't think you'd like it if I went around Blackthorne like I owned the place."

"Trust me. You don't know what Blackthorne is like."

"You don't know that," I snapped.

_Oh crap._

He looked taken back for a second. "What are you saying?"

My head hung in disappointment for my slip up. "Nothing. Just forget I said anything, alright?"

"Aria…"

"Forget. It." I said through clenched teeth.

He had this look in his eyes. I don't know how to describe it, but it looked like he was debating over something. Finally, he sighed and shook his head, giving up.

"It's getting late. You should probably go," I told him. Zach nodded, but he stayed where he was.

"I know where I've seen you…" he started.

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping for this all to be a dream.

"You were there…at Blackthorne. You were that little girl that was always there. The one that everyone would talk about."

"No," I whispered, vigorously shaking my head. "You weren't there, Zach. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes I do. I never saw you in person, but when I arrived at Blackthorne, there were these older kids talking about you. They were asking what happened…"

"No," I said again, more firmly this time, but he didn't stop.

His face lit up like he had an idea. "I got it!"

"What?"

"You were in a photo in Solomon's office. Before he came to Gallagher, he was always at Blackthorne for some reason. He had his own office, and there was this tiny frame with him holding a little gi-"

"No!" I shouted.

He stopped abruptly and stared at me like I was crazy.

"Just stop," I pleaded, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Who are you really?" he asked, putting his mask back on and glaring at me.

_Oh great. He thinks I'm part of the Circle._

"I'm not part of the Circle of Cavan, if that's what you're assuming," I said, trying to mask my own emotions.

"Don't freaking lie to me. I want to know who sent you."

My fists clenched at my sides in anger. "How dare you accuse me of that! You know nothing about me, so stop acting like I'm some sort of enemy! If anything, you're the enemy!"

"ME? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" he yelled right back.

"You know full well what I'm talking about. You're Catherine's son, aren't you? And obviously you can't be fully trusted, being an assassin and all."

He shook his head and turned away from me. "You can't fully trust _anyone_ in this business. I learned that the hard way," he faced me, full-on glaring. "Don't treat me like I'm anything similar to my mom, because I'm not. Yes, I go to an assassin school, but it's not like I want to be there."

My eyes widened in astonishment. "You think I want to be here? Stuck in this prison of a school?"

"Well, you obviously don't mind-"

"Shut up. Just shut up and listen to me. I don't have a choice but to be here. I have no other way to go. This is my life now, and you have no right to come and accuse me of anything. Understand?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm sure there's another option."

"Like what, Zach? Like being homeless? Because I'm pretty sure that won't work out too well."

"Why don't you live with some sort of family? I know for a fact that you have a sis-"

"_Had._ I _had_ a sister. I have absolutely nobody," I said weakly, a single tear rolling down my cheek. I wiped the traitorous tear away and stood my ground. By the way his eyes softened, I can tell he saw it.

Before anything could happen, I turned on my heel and walked away.

"Aria…I'm sorry. I didn't know. I just…I'm sorry," he said from behind me.

_Zachary Goode APOLOGIZED?_

"It's fine, Zach. I'm fine."

All of a sudden, I was pulled back. Zach brought me into a hug and I let a few tears fall. He stroked my hair like an older brother would have, and I tried to stop crying.

I heard a gasp from behind me, so I turned around. I only caught a glance of dirty-blonde hair before there was nothing.

_Cammie._

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**Dun Dun DUNNNN! So, what's the deal with Aria? What REALLY happened to her? Who is she?**

**To Be Continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm growing strangely attatched to this story...I love it, though :)**

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**Cammie's POV**

My roommates were sound asleep, and I decided to wander around. I slipped my sneakers on and silently left my room. I was out for less than an hour when I found a passageway. While I was inside, I couldn't help but notice that someone was recently in there.

I stopped when I came to a dead end, but pushing on the wall, you could feel it moving out of the way. I opened the exit and stumbled when the cool night air hit me.

Looking around, I didn't see anybody. But when I turned a corner, I felt my stomach drop. My heart felt heavier and my breath came out in sharper breaths as I gasped.

Zach and Aria broke away from each other and spun around to face me, but I was already running.

"Cammie!" I heard Zach call when I was in the hallway.

I didn't stop. _Just keep running. Just keep running._

**Aria's POV**

No, no, no, no, no. It wasn't what it looked like! How could she think that either of us would do that to her? Okay, I admit it. I've done unspeakable things...but this is one thing I would never do.

"Where do you think she is?" Zach asked, concern filling his eyes.

_Bad. Very bad thing. Control your emotions, Zach._

"You know her better than anyone. You tell me."

By now, we were dashing around in the corridors, searching for the girl who had the highest chance of getting killed by the Circle.

I stopped suddenly, that thought overwhelming me. It became harder to breathe, harder to think.

I gave myself one mission when I found out about Cammie's relevance to the Circle. _One freaking mission!_ And I might not be able to do that. My knees went weak, and I fell to the ground.

"Aria?" Zach turned back to me from his position across the hall. "Aria!"

I sighed, not feeling any emotion anymore. I blocked it all away and stood back up, letting my instinct take over.

"We need to do something to find her. We need to find her! How do we find her?" Zach hissed (because there are still some very alert spies and assassins in the building) and punched the wall - _hard._

"We wait," I said, shrugging.

He looked at me, his eyes cold. "How can you be so calm at a time like this? She's never gonna forgive me!"

"Calm down. Of course she's gonna forgive you."

His cold stare deepened and it sounded like venom seeping out of his voice as he spoke. "How the hell do you know? It's your freaking fault she's gone right now! She could be hurt for all we know!" he screamed. People began to come out of their rooms to see what was happening.

My voice was low and calm, while on the inside, I was screaming my head off. "Don't you dare blame me for this mess. It is _not_ my fault. You have no idea what I went through to keep her alive."

With that, I spun on my heel and left an angry boy and a lot of shocked faces staring.

_Very subtle, Aria. Way to keep it calm, cool, and collected._

**Kat's POV**

My eyes shot open as soon as the bang of the door reached my ears. "Aria?"

"Yeah?" she asked, rifling through her desk drawers for something. She started throwing things out, searching.

"Are you okay?" Jess asked, sitting up in her bed.

"Just peachy," Aria replied. She let out a frustrated noise and slammed her hands down on the top of the desk, running her hand through her long brown hair.

"Where's my gun?" she asked, going to her closet.

"Ari..." Dawn started, but Aria wouldn't stop. She dug through several boxes, making a mess along the way.

"Aria," Dawn's voice came louder.

"Where the heck is my gun?" Aria asked, still busy looking.

Dawn quickly walked over to Aria and grabbed her by the shoulders. "ARIA!"

"What?"

"What is going on?" Dawn asked slowly, as if she were talking to a kid.

"I'm looking for my gun," Aria stated as if it was obvious.

"We know that!"

Everyone turned to Jess, the source of the noise. "Aria..." she tried again. "We need you to tell us what's wrong."

Aria sighed and looked down. "I'll tell you at breakfast. I promsie. Just let me cool down."

"In the middle of the night?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah. I really need to blow off some steam..."

"Go to the gym. Cammie never went to the P&E barn at Gallagher when she needed to cool off."

My head shot up so fast I'm surprised I didn't get whiplash. "Bex?"

"I heard what happened out there. You should go to the gym while you can," she shrugged.

Aria stood up, smiled gratefully, and disappeared to go to the gym.

**Aria's POV**

I stepped into the gym and turned the lights on. After shutting the heavy metal doors, I went over to the punching bag.

I started out just hitting it to get used to the feel. After a while, I was beating the heavy bag with a steady rhythm as it swung back and forth.

_Left, right, left, left, right. Back and forth. Back and forth._

I went in for the final blow, hauling off, and kicking the bag as hard as I could. It swung back and I heard the clash of metal as it broke and skidded across the floor.

"Crap," I muttered, dropping to the floor. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths to calm myself down.

**Zach's POV**

Yep. I'm an idiot.

* * *

**Personally, I really liked this chapter :) It shows some emotion going on.**

**Review!**

**Forever and Always,**

**Me**


	7. Chapter 7

**I honestly can't tell you all how happy those reviews make me feel :) I love you! Muah, muah, much love! ;) I won't keep you waiting much longer...but it builds suspense. Okay, I'm just being mean now :P Read on, my lovelies!**

* * *

**Cammie's POV**

As soon as I got back to my room, I had hot tears streaming down my face. I didn't bother cleaning up. Bex, Macey, and Liz were almost immediately around me, pulling me into one huge hug.

"Cammie, what happened?" Liz's soft southern voice inquired.

"Yeah, who am I gonna have to hurt?" Bex asked. Her voice was menacing.

I shook my head. "Don't hurt anyone..."

"Tell us what happened," Macey demanded, leading us over to my bed. They leaned close, waiting. Listening.

"I saw Zach..." I trailed off.

"And?" Bex persisted.

"And h-he was hugging A-Aria," I stuttered, more tears flowing.

"That son of a-"

"Bex!" Liz interrupted. She turned to me. "It may have been a misunderstanding..."

"But they're so different with each other. Don't you see them glancing at each other all the time?" I asked.

"Point taken. Listen, Cam, you should get some rest. Lack of sleep causes dark circles," Macey said, getting up and going over to her own bed.

I rolled over and buried my face into my pillow and I could have sworn I heard Bex mumble, "I'm gonna kick his but tomorrow..."

**Zach's POV**

Man...Cammie's been completely ignoring me, and Bex keeps threatening to torture me or something. I'd be insane if I weren't the least bit scared.

"Zach, we know you're frustrated and all, but you gotta chill," Grant said from his position on the bed.

I glared at him. "No, you don't understand. She thinks I cheated on her!"

"Did you?"

"NO!" I yelled.

"Problem solved, idiot. Tell her that," he said in an obvious tone.

"If she would listen," I muttered under my breath.

**Aria's POV**

I was woken up early by three incredibly dangerous Nightingale Girls. Dawn stepped forward and crossed her arms.

"Tell. Us. Everything."

I sighed and did the dumbest thing ever...I gave in.

"WHAT?" the three of them screeched when I finished my story.

"Cammie must hate me now..." my head fell into my hands as I closed my eyes. Jess was rubbing my back.

"It'll be okay, Ari, just explain," she said.

"Fine. But I doubt it'll work."

Walking into the dining hall, I felt like crap. Complete and utter crap. Bex and Macey were giving me death glares, and Liz would shake her head in disapproval every now and again. Cammie was sitting with her head down, and that made me feel so much worse.I grabbed an apple and headed out.

"Ms. Evans," a stern voice said from behind me.

"I'll be a little late for CoveOps, Mr. Solomon," I said as I left.

By the time I sat down on the roof, breakfast was probably over. I stayed where I was, looking at the scenery.

My home.

My life.

Suddeenly, a hand was on my shoulder. I grabbed the offending hand and flipped the person onto the hard roof. I sighed in relief when I realized it wasn't Zach.

"What are you doing here, Tristan?" I asked.

He shrugged carelessly. "Just checking on you."

I nodded. "Thanks. But you should probably go. Solomon won't be too happy with you."

Tristan smirked. "It's not the first time."

Rolling my eyes, I pushed past him and, instead of going to class, I went to my room. I grabbed a piece of evapopaper and scribbled a note down. Then, I went "down under". That's what people at Nightingale call it. It's kind of like Nightingale's version of the sublevels or the tombs.

I stuck the small paper on the door to DU (down under) level two, where my class was. When I was sure nobody noticed me, I left and headed outside.

Shooting ranges never felt really...relaxing, until now. I took aim of the last target, narrowed my eyes in concentration, and shot. When I got closer to the target, I realized I was off by 3.719 mm. A string of curses came out of my mouth and I punched a tree, trying to let all my bottled up anger out.

I stood there, breathing hard, staring at my bleeding knuckles, before I stomped my way back. Once in the infirmiry, Nurse Haley looked up. Her head tilted in curiousity, but I just smiled.

"Can I have any tape or bandage for this?"

She looked at my hand, where I accidently scraped skin off and part was dripping. "Oh! Of course!"

She pulled out a bottle and cotton. When I saw her digging through her drawers for more, I stopped her. "I can clean it myself," I reassured her. "I jusr need to grab something to wrap it."

She handed me a white rolled up bandage. "Thanks!" I called as I walked out with a slight wave of the hand.

As soon as the door closed, an arm went around my waist, and a rag covered my mouth. I fought off the attacker and fled, arriving in my room quickly. I was breathing hard.

_This is definitely not the end of things..._

* * *

**Aww...Zammie is definitely not back together yet. Will they EVER get back together? Will it become ZARIA? Dun Dun DUUUNNNNNN!**

**Nah, too cruel. I'll lift your spirits by telling you some news:**

**I WILL be updating The Clique Plus Gallagher soon. Not tomorrow. I'm probably not even gonna get online tomorrow, bcuz my cousin is having a partay! :P**

**REVIEW.**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	8. Chapter 8

**I know. I'm a cruel, cruel person. But I updated to make you happy! :)**

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**Zach's POV**

I spent the day avoiding Bex, trying to talk to Cammie, and looking for Aria. Fun, right? I suppose you deserve an explanation.

Bex is trying to kill me. Or torture me. Or torture me and then let me die a slow, painful death. Her words, not mine.

Cammie won't look at me, let alone talk. She won't let me explain that there's NOTHING GOING ON with me and Aria.

And Aria's case? It's like she disappeared! I get it, Cammie the Chameleon can turn invisible if she wanted to...but the Shadow? She disappears off of the face of the earth.

"ZACH!"

Aww...I probably won't make it out of this, so I just wanted to say something. REBECCA BAXTER IS THE CAUSE OF MY DEATH!

My back hit the wall and she glared at me. Her grip on my shirt tightened.

"What. Did. You. Do?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Listen, Bex," I pleaded. "I hugged Aria and Cammie saw. She didn't wait for an explanation. She just left."

Bex sighed and let me go. "Why were you hugging Aria?"

"She was crying. I said some things that...shouldn't have been mentioned..."

Wrong thing to say. I was pinned against the wall again. "Aria's my friend too, you know. What did you say to her?"

"I brought up some things about her past..."

She narrowed her eyes and I continued. "And she was at Blackthorne when she was younger."

Bex's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

Aw crap. "SHE WAS AT BLACKTHORNE?"

I clamped a hand over her mouth and glared. "You weren't even supposed to know, and I don't want the rest of the school finding out."

"How do you know that it was her?"

"She's related to Solomon somehow." She gasped.

I really need to learn to shut my mouth. I'm Zachary-freaking-Goode! I'm one of the best. I shouldn't have let all of that information slip.

**Cammie's POV**

I was sitting in my room when the door opened and Bex stepped in. "Cammie?"

"Yeah?" I looked up to see Zach standing next to her.

"Cammie, you need to let him explain."

I shook my head. "Nope. Sorry. No can do."

"Just listen. He didn't cheat or anything. He's not with Aria."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes!"

I adverted my gaze to Zach and looked for signs of a lie. None. "Ok..."

"So you forgive me?" he asked hopefully.

I shook my head. "Explain."

He sat down beside me and took my hand. Bex left to give us privacy. Not. I bet she's listening...

"You have to promise me you won't tell anyone," he started.

"Fine." He rubbed circles on the top of my hand with his thumb.

"For some reason, Aria used to go to Blackthorne. Rumor has it, she's Solomon's niece." He let the informtion sink in before continuing. "I said some things to her when I found her on the roof...and I know they shouldn't have been brought up. She started to cry, and...I hugged her. That's when you came up."

I stared at him for a while. His sincere expression didn't leave, but when I didn't say anything, he got a little tense.

"Cammie? Say something. I don't know what else t-" I cut him off with a kiss. It wasn't much, but it meant something. And I couldn't be happier.

**Aria's POV**

I was heading back inside after an hour at the shooting range, when a hand clamped over my mouth.

_Not this again._

I struggled against the grip, but it was no use. The person was too strong. A rag was placed over my face, and I inhaled a sick smell. It was thick, and made my vision fog.

I sucked in a breath to scream, but I couldn't make a sound.

"Stop moving," a cold voice commanded. I felt something hard press against my head, and I realized it was a gun.

_Get kidnapped or die? Kidnapped or die? If I'm kidnapped, they'll probably hurt me. If I fight, I'll die. If I let them take me, I could possibly get out. If I struggle, they'll kill me, but won't get information. Unless they just knock me out..._

I froze and let them drag me to a white van.

And I was shoved inside as a blindfold was placed over my eyes.

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**Ooh...ZAMMIE IS BACK! Sorry folks, I just don't like "Zaria". But it sounds really cool ;)**

**What will happen to Aria? Who has her? SOMEBODY GRAB SOME FREAKIN POPCORN!**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	9. Chapter 9

**I have a confession to make. I am leaving Fanfiction. FOR GOOD. Sorry, but I'm getting really overwhelmed, and things have just not been working out. I am so sorry to my disappointed fans, but...**

**Nah, I'm just kidding. I would NEVER do that to you all! I love you too much. Seriously. Fanfiction has become a big part of my life :)**

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**Dawn's POV [YAY!]**

Aria wasn't in the room yet, and it was getting really late. Nothing unusual.

I finally fell asleep, when I heard something at the door. I got up, letting my long auburn hair fall on one shoulder and got up. Once I opened the door, four girls tumbled in. Literally.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, yawning.

Bex jumped up first. "Aria's gone!"

All the exaustion escaped me. "What do you mean she's gone?" I questioned, getting a bad feeling.

"She just disappeared!"

"And how long has she been gone?" I led them in and kicked the door shut.

Liz sat down on my bed. "Since this morning..."

"Shit!" I kicked the foot of the bed, making Jess jump up and get into a fighting stance.

I threw a pillow at Kat, who sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What's going on?"

"Aria's gone."

"She's probably on the roof or outside with her gun," Kat said, waving the matter off.

I sat down with my head in my hands. "No. She's really gone."

Jess ran over to Aria's drawer and opened it, rummaging around. "Her gun's gone too!"

"Well, she probably had it when she went missing..."

"Oh. Right. Well what do we do?" she asked, pacing around the room.

I shrugged, but turned to Cammie. "Any ideas?"

She shook her head. "Sorry."

I stood up and threw a book at the wall. "Damn it!"

Jess put a hand on my shoulder. "It'll be fine."

"You don't know that! For all we know, she could be in a box, floating down the Nile River!"

I threw the door open and started pounding on one of the doors. It opened after a few knocks, and Grant was standing there.

"What?" he asked, clearly irritated.

I pushed him out of the way and made my way over to Zach. I kicked him in the gut and he groaned, sitting up.

"What the hell?"

I glared and crossed my arms. "I need your help."

"That was no way to get my help," he remarked. I didn't move.

"Yeah, well Aria's missing, and I'm not in the mood. Help me find her," I demanded.

"I don't know where she is."

I left the room, and went to one of the dorms I usually avoid. I knocked until it opened, revealing a startled girl.

"Dawn?"

I nodded. "Hey, Lynn. I need some help."

Lynn is the most paranoid girl at Nightingale. If something went wrong, she would be able to help because of her cautiousness.

"With?" she inquired suspiciously.

"Aria's gone."

Her eyes widened. "I didn't know anything about that...but I know she was last seen by Tristan."

"Thanks!" I called, already running towards his room.

"Dawn!" Kat called, grabbing my arm. I spun around, breathing hard.

"I need to find Tristan!"

She sighed. "He doesn't know anything. He said he spoke to her, but that's about it. He didn't see her after that."

Panic flooded through me, even stronger than before. "No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening!"

I dropped to the ground, trying to calm down.

**Cammie's POV**

When Dawn fell down, after her freak-out, I knew something was seriously wrong. Kat went up to her, trying to get some explanation. The guys were just standing there, with Macey, Bex, and Liz.

"Dawn. _Dawn. _Look at me. What's wrong?"

I knelt down beside the two and fixed my gaze on the girl having a panic attack. She was being forced by Kat to take deep breaths.

"She's gone."

If I were any further, I would have missed the whisper that came out of Dawn's mouth. I would have missed the way her voice shook as if she were still trying to process it. I would have missed the way all her confusion was replaced with concern, and most of all, _anger._

She stood up, her fists clenched. "They took her."

I joined her side once more, too afraid to ask the question everyone was thinking. But I did it anyways. "Who?"

"The Circle."

She shared a knowing look with Kat and Jessie before she nodded and headed towards their room, th other two not far behind. The rest of us followed, curious as to what they were planning.

They entered their room, and once the rest of us were in, they were already pulling supplies out.

"Where's your case, Kat?" Dawn asked, glancing around. Kat reached under her bed and pulled out a large chest. She opened it, and you could hear the gasps of the people around her.

There were gadgets filling the case. Guns, napotine patches, blades, and all sorts of electronics.

"What do we need?" Kat asked, not glancing up at Dawn.

"Guns, comms units, and napotine patches. Nothing too extreme or bulky," came the reply. Jess was busy pulling out disguises, from wigs to contacts, and everything in between.

"Dawn, what about disguises?" Jess wondered, holding up a bag.

"Just put anything that could completely alter our appearances, and pack some stuff similar to us," she said distractedly.

It was clear that Dawn was going to be leading this.

"What are we supposed to do?" Macey asked, looking at the three of them.

"I need someone to hack into the system and disable the firewalls just long enough to track a bug I planted on Aria," she began. Liz rushed off, grabbing Jonas and heading into our room.

Bex looked ready to fight. "What about the rest of us?"

"Someone help Jess with disguises." Dawn was pacing around the room, clearly thinking about something. Kat tossed a handgun over her shoulder, and Dawn caught it easily, shoving it into a holster on her waist.

When everyone was done, we found Liz and Jonas, sitting around a laptop. Liz's fingers were typing away, but she stopped suddenly, a disappointed look on her face.

"We can't find the bug," Jonas said, frustration coating his voice.

"It's fine. Come on," Dawn said, leading us towards the front doors. Tristan stopped her.

"What about clothes? None of us are dressed."

I looked around, realizing that we were still wearing our pajamas. Dawn dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "You can change in the van. Kat, Jess, Bex, and Macey in one van. Cammie, Zach, and Tristan, you're with me."

"What about the rest of us?" Grant asked.

"Grant. Are you any good with weaponry?" Kat asked, tilting her head.

He shrugged. "Yeah. Pretty good."

"Fantastic." She shoved a case into his hands and started walking.

"Wait, so does that mean I'm coming?" he called. She didn't turn around.

"What do you think?"

Jess pushed the doors open, and followed Dawn out into the cool air. The air was clean. Pure, almost.

Maybe that's why Dawn felt the need to stop and look around as if for the last time. As if she wasn't going to come back. As if she would keep searching until she had Aria back.

Dawn narrowed her eyes in determination. Determination to find Aria. Determination to find her best friend. Determination to find her _sister._

* * *

**Well? I'm sure you know what to do now. If you still need the hint...REVIEW!**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	10. Chapter 10

**Heyyy, so I've got the rest of this story planned out. Enjoy!**

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**Aria's POV:**

I was drifting back into consciousness. And sadly, I would have preffered to be out cold. My back hurt, my wrists were stinging, and my body ached as if I hadn't moved in years. On top of all that, it felt like someone was poking me.

I cracked one eye open and looked at the person sitting down next to me. He had a stick in his hand and he kept prodding me in the side. I grabbed the stick and yanked it out of his grasp.

"Hey!" he yelled. I winced at the volume, but glared anyways.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, holding the stick up.

He grabbed it back from me. "Boss told me to make sure you weren't dead."

"And you couldn't have just seen if I was breathing?" I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

The man tried to poke me again, but I swatted the stick away. "No. I didn't want to get too close to you."

I was so tempted to grab the stick and start beating him with it. But that would probably get me into a lot more trouble. So I sat there silently, like the good little girl that I pretend to be.

"Follow me," he commanded. I stood and followed him out of the cell and down some hall until we came to a steel door. He pushed it open and shoved me inside, locking the door behind me.

I saw an uncomfortable looking chair in the center of the room. Instead of avoiding that chair, like any sane person would do, I sat down on it, crossing my legs. The door opened again and a woman stepped in. She had short, bleach blonde hair and a slight Scottish accent.

"Comfortable?" she asked.

I shrugged. "That depends. Comfortable with this situation? Yes. Comfortable in this chair? Then...not really."

She slapped me across the face before having two goons tie me to the chair. I couldn't help but notice that Bex's slipknots were more secure.

"You know, these guys should really learn to tie a knot. I bet I can get out of this almost as quickly as people run when they see your hideous face."

That got me another slap, but I just smirked. This is going to be fun.

* * *

**Zach's POV:**

Dawn was pacing around the room. Bex and Macey were on Bex's bed, and Liz was at her laptop.

"Where could they have taken her?" Cammie wondered aloud from her spot next to me. I shrugged and picked up her hand, playing with her fingers.

Dawn stopped pacing and turned to look us all in the eyes. "I think the real question is _why_ they took her."

"I think it's pretty obvious," I told her. I recieved a glare in return.

"Okay. Let me refrase that. Why would they take _Aria_ when Cammie is sitting right here? No offense," she added the last part.

"None taken," Cammie replied. "But I think she know something about them. That's why they came after me...except I have no idea what they think I know."

Kat and Jess came into the room, both reading files. "Hey, guys. I think I have some interesting information..." Jess trailed off.

"Well? What is it?" Macey asked.

"Did you know Aria would train at Blackthorne every summer when she was younger?" Kat asked suddenly.

"WHAT?" A collective gasp was heard.

"I know," Bex whispered, glancing at me.

Macey turned to her and gripped her shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I ignored Macey and looked at Liz. "Anything?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. It's like she just disappeared!"

"Woah, woah, woah. Get this. Joe Solomon is Aria's _uncle!"_ Macey exclaimed, holding the papers as if they were some rare artifact that could never be replaced.

"I know," Bex repeated herself.

"Bex! Tell us what you know!" Macey prompted impatiently.

Bex gave a sheepish smile. "That's about it."

"Well, if we didn't see any of this, then we're either very bad spies, or she's..." Liz trailed off, leaving Bex to finish.

"She's better than we thought."

We nodded our agreements. "Yeah. And that means she's good enough to hold out."

Dawn froze in her tracks and Cammie's eyes widened. "But if they can't break her, they'll..."

"They'll kill her. And I am _not_ about to let that happen," Dawn finished.

Her jaw tightened, her fists were clenched at her sides, and the fire in her eyes was one of pure determination. I don't think anyone has ever seen her angrier.

"None of us will," Macey assured. Liz's face paled and she seemed almost afraid to speak the words we all knew were true. Painful, but true.

"What if we can't?"

Dawn shook her head and took a deep breath to calm herself. "Don't think like that. I'm getting her back if it's the last thing I do."

"_We,"_ I corrected.

She just rolled her eyes. "Fine. _We _will find her. And we will bring her home."

"Well, we need to stop doubting ourselves. We _also_ need to stop going on and on about the possibilities," I gave Dawn a pointed look. "And keep looking."

* * *

**I am incredibly sorry for the long wait. :( Please review?**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	11. Chapter 11

**I got this out pretty quick, eh? Review for the timing?**

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**Cammie's POV**

When a month passed, and no sign of Aria came, we decided to lay low. We were all doing our research. I was sure of that. But none of us told each other about it. Late at night, you could hear the light tapping of keys as Liz researched.

Jessica developed a strange case of insomnia. I only knew because after a week, we decided to room together. It seemed crazy. Eight of us in one room.

But it was comforting.

So while Liz was typing away, and Jess was staring out the window with a thoughtful expression on her face, everyone else was sleeping.

Or…pretending to sleep.

Every time Dawn drifted off, she would thrash around, screaming out Aria's name. Kat and Bex were no better. They ended up sleep fighting a few times, and it took all six of us, plus Zach, Grant, Jonas, and Tristan to pull them apart.

I found Dawn sitting in the corner, hugging her knees to her chest last night. As always, the light shone on Liz's face and Jess was by the window sill.

I got up to check on Dawn, but Macey stopped me. "Don't even bother. We all tried it. She's unresponsive."

Out of all of us, I think Macey was taking it the easiest. She didn't have nightmares, or sleep disorders, or anything. But you could tell there was something off about her.

I guess it was just because she was used to hiding everything. Years of practice pays off after all.

"Get the hell off of her…"

We all turned to Kat, who was mumbling. Since it was impossible for us to sleep next to her or Bex, we put them together.

Kat's arm lashed out and whacked Bex on the cheek. Bex, who was still asleep, rolled over and slapped her back. "Bloody imbecile…"

The mumbling went on and on until they were thrashing around, beating each other up. None of us had the energy to get up and stop them, so we let the two fight it out. Bex ended up pinning Kat down to the floor, twisting her arm—hard.

By the time morning came, we were worse than ever. Grant and Jonas worked together to drag Zach and Tristan to class, because they didn't feel like getting out of bed.

"Ms. Morgan?" Mr. Solomon's voice rang out.

"2,749," I answered, not really knowing what the question was.

He nodded and returned to his lecture.

Life without Aria hasn't exactly been the same at Nightingale, if you haven't noticed.

* * *

THINGS YOU SHOULD DO JUST

IN CASE YOU GET KIDNAPPED

BY AN ANCIENT TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

1. Go to the bathroom. (Because it takes time to whine until they let you go)

2. Master the art of expressionless faces.

3. Perfect the Rachel Morgan my-daughter-was-almost-kidnapped-and-you-want-me-to-calm-down glare for when number 2 doesn't work out.

4. Eat while you can. (Because stale bread doesn't seem half as appetizing as a nice apple)

**Aria's POV**

"Hey," I called. "Hey, dude."

My voice was weaker than it had been when I got here, and there were multiple marks on my body. But that didn't change my attitude.

The guard looked at me and snickered. "You think you're so tough, don't you? Well, if you're as tough as you think you are, then why are you still in here?"

I shrugged. "Being tough doesn't mean that I'm invincible. It means that I can stick through it."

He let out a bark of laughter and scrutinized me through his gaze. "You still believe your friends are coming for you."

It wasn't a question. It was a straight out statement. And all I wanted to do was pound his face in. "Of course they're coming." My voice dropped to a mocking whisper. "Don't you remember who they are?"

"They're idiots," he told me.

I shook my head and smiled wryly. "No. They're family."

"What does family have to do with anything?" he spat. "Last I checked, we killed your only family."

Ouch. I leaned against the cold stone wall and let my gaze wander. "Last I checked, the Circle has no idea who my family is."

"Is?"

I nodded. "That's correct, Mr. Guard Person. My family isn't just a girl who was born by the same parents as me. My family is much, _much_ bigger than that."

"And who might your family be?" He was interested now. Leaning forward, eyes concentrated on me.

"That's a very good question," I said. "A very good question indeed."

And with that, I let myself fall asleep.

* * *

**Review for Aria's inspirational words?**

**Review for her nickname for the guard?**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	12. Chapter 12

**September 30: The day Cammie Morgan came back to the Gallagher Academy after running away. :)**

* * *

**Cammie's POV**

Things have slowly been returning to normal ever since Aria left. The first month was terrible. But with the snow came a fresh start. Jess was sleeping more, and Liz stopped staying up late for any clues.

Bex and Macey seem pretty normal, but you'd expect that from them because we don't know Aria that well. Dawn probably took the longest.

She doesn't have nightmares every night. Sure, she has them once in a while, but it doesn't wake the entire school up anymore.

I grabbed my books and looked around at the room. It seemed empty without Dawn, Kat, and Jess sleeping over. Of course, it was probably just me, because Macey was going on and on about how she finally got her clothes to fit into the closet again.

"I have a feeling today is gonna be a good day, don't you think?" she asked.

"Sure, Macey," Bex replied.

Liz was reading a book with the title _Physics: Advanced Molecular Studies _and nodding her head in agreement from time to time. There was a knock on the door, and Kat entered without waiting for the answer. Dawn followed after her, shaking her head, and Jess glared at Kat's back. Before Kat could take another step, Jess was on top of her, trying to catch Kat in a headlock.

"Anyways," Dawn said, ignoring the two. "I've come to the conclusion that Tristan has a slight infatuation with somebody."

Macey scoffed. "Slight? Where have you guys been? That boy has been drooling after Ari-"

She stopped herself short and stared down at the ground, a disappointed look in her eyes. I couldn't tell if she was disappointed in herself for slipping up, or in Aria, who failed to return.

"So...Have you heard about the Cove Ops assignment?" Jess asked, eagerly trying to change the subject. Key word: _trying_.

Bex nodded and her grin was almost wicked as she jumped up. "Yeah! We get to partner up and everything. I heard it's gonna be hard."

Kat was just as eager as Bex as she smirked. "That doesn't mean it'll stop us."

But as we filed out, nobody saw the dark look that covered Dawn's face.

* * *

**Aria's POV**

"I'm impressed, Aria," the bleach blond woman said. "You've managed to hold out this long."

I gave a sickly sweet smile and spat blood at her. "Don't tell me you expected me to break so easily."

She glared and slapped me across the face. I saw blood spray across the floor, and held in a round of coughs. My eye was swollen shut, and several cuts were visible on my face. But I kept on back-talking.

"You know who you should see?" I asked. "Macey McHenry. She could definitely give you some pointers on making you look...appealing. I honestly don't know how I'm not blind with the amount of time I've been seeing your hideous face."

Another slap.

"You look like a man, but hit like a girl."

_Slap._

"Seriously. What do I have to do to get you to untie me? A mask?"

_Slap._

"Alright. I'll break all the mirrors so you never have to see yourself again."

_Slap._

"How about bananas? Monkeys like bananas, right?"

She drew her hand back, gripping tightly to a knife. I grinned as she lowered it again, breathing heavily. "You're lucky the boss wants you alive. Otherwise, I'd gladly kill you."

I shrugged, ignoring the pain that shot through my shoulder. Note to self: Relocate shoulder when you get out.

"Doesn't really matter if you kill me or not, right?"

She laughed maniacally, throwing her head back. "Of course not! I'll be seeing you in hell anyways."

I shook my head. "I thought Satan got a restraining order against you..."

_Slap._

"Oh, so we're back to the slapping?" I inquired, not caring what she did. My body was numb, but my muscles were sore, and all I wanted to do was get out of there.

Before she could do anything, a buff man entered the room. He had several tattoos covering his arms, and scars all over his face.

"Alright, Aria. I'm going to ask you a question, and you will answer or else," he said.

"Yes ma'am," I answered. "I mean Sir."

The blond lady narrowed her eyes at me. "This one is very annoying. Extremely persistent and spleenful."

"Ooh," I cooed. "The big bad ape lady knows a big word!"

"Shut-"

I cut her off. "What are you gonna do? Force me to stare at you for hours? I thought your boss said you can't kill me."

The man laughed. "You're funny, kid. I almost feel bad about having to torture you."

"Not bad enough," I muttered.

He sent the woman out and sat down in front of me, holding a sharp blade. "Here's how this is going to go. I'm going to ask you a few questions, alright?"

I nodded, though it hurt. "Okay."

"And then you're going to answer. Simple enough, right?"

I shook my head. "There are still a few questions I have for you."

He raised one eyebrow, making him even more intimidating. Let's face it. Even Nightingale Girls get scared. "Well?"

I cleared my throat, realizing how dry it was. "What's your name?"

"Classified."

His answer made me glare daggers at him. "You're worse than Zach."

The man leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "So you've met the boss's kid?"

I nodded. "I almost threw him off the roof one time. But I guess you could say that we _met."_

He grinned and tapped his foot against the tiled floor. The room went deathly quiet for a few moments before he decided to speak up again. "I think I'm going to like your company."

"Just wait until we get to the good stuff. You'll be running faster than that blonde lady did after seeing her own reflection."

* * *

**Reviews for her insults to the woman?**

**Personally, I loved this chapter. It's funny and mysterious. :)**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	13. Chapter 13

**Was this some sort of over-night thing? Because I swear, I was jumping up and down in my seat when I saw how many reviews I got for that last chapter. There's only one thing I gotta say to that. I love you!**

**Dedicated to LoudNProud :)**

* * *

**Cammie's POV**

The classroom was silent as Joe Solomon analyzed us. He sat down on the corner of the desk and crossed his arms, looking extremely hot as he did so.

Note to self: Your teacher is a hottie.

The Nightingale Girls around us payed close attention to Mr. Solomon as he stared us down. His eyes rested just a moment longer than necessary on one particular desk. And it just so happens to be the only empty desk in the room.

"Mistakes," he began, "are fatal. Just one slip up, and you're a goner."

Tina Walters raised her hand, but nobody bothered to look up as Mr. Solomon motioned for her to ask her question. "I thought we were going on a Cove Ops assignment today..."

He nodded. "We are. But just like you can't play basketball without knowing the rules, you can't go on missions without knowing the objective."

After that, nobody spoke for a while. Tristan sat in one corner with his eyes focused on the desk, and Dawn was sitting in the back of the room, resting her head in her arms.

"Ms. Kinsley." Dawn glanced up at the sound of her name and slowly sat back, an emotionless mask on her face. Mr. Solomon studied her for a while before turning away and shaking his head.

"Let's just go. The faster we get through this lesson, the better."

At Dawn's next words, I almost fell off of my seat. Solomon heard it too. I could tell by the way he froze in his position. But the only other people who did were Zach and Tristan. Zach, whose face fell and Tristan, who stood up with tense shoulders and followed Mr. Solomon out.

And I'm sure she would have been punished if the circumstances were different. But as we filed out of the room, none of us saying a word, I replayed Dawn's words in my head.

_Too little, too late._

* * *

**Aria's POV**

"She might be a little loopy from the gas, but she should be giving out information any time now."

With that, the blonde lady left.

"I'm losing my patience with you, Ms. Evans," the man in front of me spoke. His tattoos looked familiar to me now that I've seen him so many times.

I shrugged carelessly. "I've lost my patience a long time ago, dude."

"Did you just call me dude?" he asked, bewildered.

I fought back a grin and put my most innocent face on. "Did you just call me Ms.?"

"Yes, but that's because you're obviously over sixteen years old. I like to think of myself as a gentleman sometimes."_  
_

"Well, I called you _dude_ because you're obviously a guy. It would be rude to call you 'chick' and I prefer to think of myself as a proper young lady."

He narrowed his eyes at me and raised the sharp little knife in his hand. "You're pushing my buttons."

Giggles erupted from my body, and I felt giddy. "You don't look like a remote to me!"

"Shut up before I slice you," he threatened. For some odd reason, his voice made me crack up.

"Slice? You're gonna slice me? I'm not ham, you know! Ooh, I'm hungry..." I groaned, hearing my stomach growl.

That just got me laughing even harder than before. "My stomach wants to talk to you!"

The man smirked maliciously, and the gesture made me want to punch him. "Hey," I said.

"Hey, dude. Bro. Yo. Person. Guy. Helllooooo!" I called.

He took a deep breath. "What?!"

"Shh!" I hissed, glancing down at my stomach. "He's talking to you..."

The man put his hand to his ear and started talking. "What the heck? You gave her too much gas, you idiot!"

"Idiot?" I asked. It seemed funny. Idiiiiiioooooot. I grinned. "Idiot. Synonyms: Imbecile. Dummy. Stupid person. Not the brightest person around. You fit the description, Mr. Interrogation Dude!"

He slapped me and I pouted, feeling the sting in my cheek. "You're a meanie. You know that? A big fat meanie who has nothing better to do with his life."

"I could kill you, you know," he remarked.

I rolled my eyes. "No you can't. I may be knocked up on that stupid gas of yours, but I'm still smarter than you. Idiot. I like that word. It fits you perfectly. Can you change your name to that? HOLY CRAP, I SOUND LIKE SUCH A FREAK!"

I felt myself coming back to my senses, but a rag was placed over my mouth and I breathed in a sickly sweet smell. And just like that, I felt like laughing again.

"Alright, enough chit chat. Where is the Gallagher Academy alumni list?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I dunno. Why don't you ask somebody on the Gallagher Alumni?"

He punched me. "Where is it?"

"I told you I don't know!" I shouted. "Are you really that oblivious?"

Another punch. "Where is the Nightingale Alumni list?"

This made me smirk. A real Zachary Goode smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He drew a line of blood on my arm with the blade. "I'm positive you know the answer to this one. Where is the-"

I interrupted him with a wicked grin. "Blackthorne Alumni list? Yes, I do know where that is. I also know that you will never get an ounce of information out of me."

The line he drew this time was deeper and longer, making my entire arm sting. "Why do you even want the lists?"

"Because we need to find out how the hell Matthew Morgan and Joe Solomon tricked us!"

I laughed, feeling every bit of the gases wear off. "It obviously wasn't hard for them."

"What do you mean?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, think about it," I told him. "You have the weapon. I'm tied up. So how did I just get my answers out of you?"

His eyes widened for a second before he cut me a fierce glare and the door banged open.

"She's right," Catherine Goode said, entering the room. "How _did_ she get that information out of you?"

* * *

**Oh Aria...You clever little one :) It seems as if she's gonna be in there for a while. Will she break out? Will they rescue her? Will she die protecting them (because we all know I have a habit of killing off characters)?**

**It turns out, her friends aren't the only ones affected...**

**Review!**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	14. Chapter 14

**Wow. How did I get such amazing readers? That is a very good question...that I cannot answer.**

**Dedicated to daydreaming silently :)**

* * *

**Aria's POV**

****I threw another roll of bread at the new guard, glaring. "Where's the guard?"

"I'm right here, obviously," he said monotonously, tossing the bread back. "Now eat. Boss said she wants you fed."

"Aw, tell her that she's just the sweetest thing!" I mocked. "Where did she take him?"

The man shrugged, pushing the tray of food in front of me. "There. Now eat."

"No," I huffed, crossing my arms.

"Eat."

"No."

"Eat!"

"Nope."

"Eat the damn food!" he yelled.

I smirked and took a large gulp of the water before throwing the tin can at him. "Never."

He stood up from his seat, causing it to fall back. I didn't like this guy. He wasn't even that fun to tease. "If you don't eat, I'll kill you."

"If you don't get me to eat, your _boss_ is gonna kill _you_."

He slapped me. Hard. "I don't care what she does, little girl. Because when I'm done with you, you'll be begging you were dead."

I yawned, stretching my aching limbs. "Been there. Done that. Anything I should be worried about?"

He shot me a malicious grin. "How about your uncle? Joe Solomon, am I correct?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Are you?"

He went on as if I hadn't spoken. "It'd be a shame if we killed him too. He was a good agent."

"Too good for you," I remarked. "Face it. You can't get anything out of me. It's not like I have anything to lose."

"Oh, let's just see about that."

His smile was pure evil. It gave me chills, just looking at it, and I was scared to know what cards he was playing at. He pressed a button and I heard a voice that I never thought I'd hear again.

"Aria..."

I looked around, squinting in the dim lighting. "Annabelle?"

* * *

**Jess's POV**

The ride was uncomfortable. We all had to pile into one helicopter with two depressed teenagers, three very unhappy Gallagher Girls, and four oddly silent Blackthorne Boys.

Tristan spent his time glaring at the floor of the helicopter, while Dawn proceeded to ignore everything Mr. Solomon said.

It was times like these when it came in handy to love flying.

I pulled a parachute on and slid the door open with ease. As soon as I felt the wind rushing at me, I smiled and turned to Dawn, who pointedly turned away from me as if knowing my intentions.

I sighed. "Dawn, don't ignore me."

"I'm not ignoring anyone," she snapped.

Mr. Solomon raised an eyebrow. "Well, Ms. Kinsley, I believe you were ignoring me."

She didn't answer him. "Take the bag off, Jess."

I shook my head. "You're jumping with me, or I'm pushing you out. Your choice."

"Jessie," she whined. "I don't want to."

"That's just too bad, now isn't it?"

Without my consent, Mr. Solomon reached over and pulled me back into my seat. "Hey! That was uncalled for."

"You can jump after the lesson," he told me. The strict tone in his voice made it hard for me to resist. So I huffed and leaned back in my seat, waiting.

"What was the first thing I said to you this morning, Ms. Walters?"

Tina looked up at him. "Mistakes are fatal."

He nodded. "Mistakes can either cost you time," he paused. "Or they can cost a life."

I could practically feel Dawn shooting daggers at him. Kat was sound asleep next to a snoring Bex. I guess the fights have been keeping them awake.

"It costs so much more than one life."

We all heard the quiet statement as if it was screamed. But when we turned to Dawn, she was looking out at the ground.

"Dawn-" she cut Cammie off.

"Do you really believe it only takes away from one life, Mr. Solomon?" Dawn questioned. By then, all eyes were on her.

Our teacher stared back at her, not willing to back down. "Ms. Kinsley..."

"Well? Do you? Because I sure as hell know that it isn't only one life."

"Shut up, Dawn," Kat snapped.

Dawn turned her head towards Kat and glared. "You know it's true, _Hurricane_."

She said Kat's codename as if it were nonsense. "Dawn, stop."

My gaze cut to Tristan, who was narrowing his eyes at her. "Just stop."

"No," Mr. Solomon interjected. "Let her speak."

Dawn studied him for a moment before looking straight at Cammie. "Mistakes will never only affect one person. They hurt everyone around, too."

"I-"

"Don't act like it isn't true, Zachary." she spat. "We all know the answer anyways."

Dawn turned to me, almost pleading with her eyes. "Can we go now?"

I nodded, unable to say anything. Unable to _do _anything else. "Alright. We can go."

And with that, we jumped.

The air rushed against my face, making it hard to breathe until I got used to it. I gave a thumbs up to Dawn, who looked the slightest bit scared.

She hesitantly mirrored the gesture, before holding out three fingers. Then only two. When she dropped one more finger, we pulled the strings on our packs, and the parachutes came out simultaneously.

A minute later, we were landing. I felt my feet hit the ground and stayed standing, while Dawn sat down, complaining. "Now I remember why I hate skydiving so much. It makes your legs feel like jelly."

I shrugged. "You'll get used to it."

The helicopter landed thirty feet away, and the class piled out, led by Mr. Solomon.

"You mission today is a hard one. But that's exactly why I chose this group to do it. We will be pairing up, so grab your partners and follow me. Kat and I immediately partnered, just like always, and Dawn followed Mr. Solomon, solo.

"I told you to get a partner, Ms. Kinsley," he said.

She crossed her arms. "Well, my partner isn't exactly available at the moment, so I guess you'll just have to deal with it."

I was sure nobody had ever heard somebody speak to Mr. Solomon like that. Especially not a group of teenagers. But Solomon just shook his head lightly, turning to the group.

"What's our assignment?" Cammie asked, standing by Zach.

Mr. Solomon looked each of us in the eye. "Track Aria Evans."

* * *

**Oh, snap! He's risking a lot here, isn't he? Dun Dun Dunnn!**

**Mwahaha- *Cough* *cough***

**Do you need help finding a plot? What about an awesome title that will make anyone stop to read? Go to my forum: Story Ideas, for help on your story.**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	15. Chapter 15

**Well, since you all want me to upate ASAP...HERE YOU GO!**

**Dedicated to Zach-Goode's-Girl . xxx :)**

* * *

**Aria's POV**

_RECAP_

_" ...It's not like I have anything to lose."_

_"Oh, let's just see about that."_

_His smile was pure evil. It gave me chills, just looking at it, and I was scared to know what cards he was playing at. He pressed a button and I heard a voice that I never thought I'd hear again._

_"Aria..."_

_I looked around, squinting in the dim lighting. "Annabelle?"_

* * *

"Ari, listen. I honestly have no idea whether or not this is just a recording, but I need you to do something. Give them the list, honey. Once you do that, it will all be over. Okay?"

I shook my head, feeling light-headed all of a sudden. "No. I can't. I don't- I don't understand…"

"_Honey_," she said. "I know you're probably freaking out, but you need to realize that everything is going to be…fine."

My vision blurred and tears that I hadn't shed were finally threatening to spill over. It felt like the room was spinning…or was it just me?

"Listen, Aria. Honey," her familiar voice made me pay close attention. But it didn't sound like her. It was almost forced. "If you want this to end for you, just hand over the list, okay? Be brave, baby. Brilliance is key. Remember that song I used to sing?"

I nodded. "Yeah…"

"Sing with me, _honey_."

"But-"

Her sweet voice drifted through my cell, making the tears finally fall. "Don't let the bad bees catch you, dear. Wake up and see the light."

Her voice was melodious and so so familiar. I tried to sing along, but my voice kept cracking as I cried. "But don't go down with those stings for nothing. Don't go down without a fight…"

She paused, and tears streamed down my face. "But if the bees will come for you…take what they want with you. And those big bad bees won't get to you-"

A loud bang sounded before her voice cut off and static surged.

That was it. That was what broke me. Every single barrier that I had up, the ones that took me so many years to build and perfect, just gone.

I cried out and turned to the wall, punching it as hard as I could. I repeated this action over and over until I couldn't take it anymore. But the pain was good.

It meant I wasn't fully numb yet.

So I kicked at everything I could get a hold of, just wanting to hit everything in sight. I heard an unmistakable snap when I punched the wall for the millionth time.

_It was my fault._

My body shook.

_I let her die._

I leaned against the wall and dropped down to my knees, looking at the shocked guard. My breathing was heavy and almost impossible, and the pain in my hand was overwhelming. I hugged my knees to my chest, clenching my fists.

I pulled my hands to my face, biting on my thumb nail to keep from sobbing, but a tiny whining sound escaped my barriers. I could almost hear the last words of the song, thinking only of the way my sister sang to me.

_If you have nothing else to lose_...

My body was rocking back and forth, and I felt my heart clenching. My chest constricted in pain and I could hardly breathe. And as I sat there curled up in a ball, with silent tears rolling down my cheeks, I did the one thing spies should never do.

I wanted something.

I wanted my sister back. I wanted her by my side, holding on to me. I wanted to be able to lay there and cry my eyes out as she sang softly into my ear. I wanted to go home.

* * *

**Cammie's POV**

"You're clear. Now move in."

The voice in my ear was the only thing that let me know what I was supposed to do. I felt useless, especially because I had no idea whether or not Aria was okay.

"Dawn, you're up next. Make sure you stay in the blind spots," I heard my teacher say.

"So I've heard," she muttered, receiving a tired sigh from Mr. Solomon.

Ten minutes later, Liz was hacking into the system, keeping us updated on anything and everything. Her voice was comforting in a way. "One...two...Now."

Suddenly, Jess and Tina were dropping from the helicopter, both wearing parachutes. They landed on the roof, and did a 360 turn. They stopped in the middle of their scan, and dropped down flat. We all got into our positions, against walls or behind trees, and waited twenty seconds.

Jess appeared again, and I heard several people letting out breaths of relief. Jess knelt down and touched her palm to the roof, then stood back up.

The signal.

Zach and I were moving in. Behind us, I knew Dawn was sprinting, setting off every single alarm she could find. It wasn't Solomon's idea. Definitely not.

He would never do something that risky. But Dawn insisted on it, saying that she was the only person that could do it. And, to our dismay, she was right.

Shots rang out as she ran, and I faintly heard her gasp as she ducked out of the way of a dagger.

Bex, Tristan and Grant were about one hundred yards from us, running in our direction. Zach pulled me against him as two guards strolled by.

When I looked up at him after they had gone, he leaned in and kissed me. I knew that there were voices in my ear and a mission to be completed, but I wanted to savor the time we had together. Because none of us knew if we could get any more of it.

"Let's go," he whispered.

I followed him as we entered the building through a narrow passage. At one point in our journey, we had to climb down a ladder, and I felt myself getting more and more anxious.

"Are you in?" I asked when we came across a heavy steel door.

Static crackled, and Bx replied. "Yeah. Go ahead, Chameleon."

"Hawk," Mr. Solomon said to Jess. "Fifteen seconds."

"I got it," she replied. Sure enough, fifteen seconds later, the door opened, revealing a triumphant Bex and determined Dawn.

And then we heard the explosion. Behind us, Tristan and Grant waved smoke away from their faces. "Dang...When she said we only needed one, she wasn't joking."

"Let's do this," Dawn said, leading us through the hall.

* * *

**Review! Did Aria make you cry? I almost cried...and I WROTE it. :(**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	16. Chapter 16

**This story is almost over. But there shall be a sequel! Excited for it? It's gonna be goode...**

**Dedicated to XxLizzXx. :)**

* * *

**Aria's POV**

I was tied to a chair again. The scary blonde lady was back, and she was angry. But I guess I just didn't care enough to give a good remark for my own amusement. I didn't care at all.

"Where are the lists?" she asked for the third time. Her accent was strong and intimidating.

"Up your ass," I muttered weakly.

She dragged the knife along my arm. "Are you still waiting for your rescue?"

I didn't answer. There was no answer. I just didn't know.

"Now, Aria..." My name rolled off her tongue threateningly. "Will you tell us where the list is if we made a trade?"

I shrugged. It wasn't my usual "That depends," or "Not in a million years." Just a shrug.

"If you give us all three lists, we won't kill your uncle."

"Alright."

"So where are they?" she asked.

"Up your ass."

_Slap._ The lady turned around to grab something. When I caught a glimpse of it, my heart started racing.

"Tell us where they are or I will kill that Cameron girl," she threatened. "We know all about your self appointed mission to protect her. Now tell me..."

"Up your ass."

A shock ran through me, causing my teeth to clench, and my body to convulse. When she pulled the device away, she grinned menacingly. "I know you don't want anything to happen to your friends. So tell me, what if we killed your uncle, and Cammie, and your little boyfriend?"

In normal circumstances, I would have raised an eyebrow, or scoffed. But I guess I was either too weak, or just too tired. In any case, it was probably both.

"What was his name?" She tapped her chin. "Oh, right. Tristan, is it? I bet he'd _love_ to see you like this."

"I hope you realize that if I get out of here, I'm kicking your ass."

She laughed. "_If?_ Are you losing your confidence, Aria dear? I know I would if I was in your position. Now where are the lists?"

"Up. Your. Ass."

Another shock ran through me, jolting me. I writhed in pain until it stopped, leaving me breathing heavily. The lady grinned at me. "We can do this all day, you know."

"We've done it all month already. I can handle another day."

"But you won't. This will be your last interrogation, dear." The words spun around in my mind, which was unable to process it. It couldn't be my last interrogation...unless...unless...

"In fact, this is the last time I'll ask you. Where are the lists?"

I looked her straight in the eye. "Well, I guess I better make the most of this, right?"

She nodded, and I found the strength to smirk. "The Nightingale alumni list...it's in a top secret place. Only an idiot would ever want to go near that area. Would you like to know where it is?"

She only smiled at me.

"Listen very carefully, because I'm sure I'm the only one who will ever tell you this," I whispered, looking around.

She leaned in to hear me better. "Tell me..."

"Up...your...ASS!" I shouted the last word with what strength I had left, and she jerked away, pressing the small device tight against my skin.

"Foolish girl," she said, before turning to knob up to its highest level and pressing the button.

**Jess's POV**

I watched through the screens as the group made their way through the dark hallways. Tina's eyes traveled from screen to screen, always in deep concentration.

"Alright," I said into the comms unit in my ear. "Now take a left, and I'll meet you guys there."

I placed a hand on Tina's shoulder, and she looked up at me. When she gave a small nod, I left and went to find my friends.

They were waiting outside, each wearing different expressions. Without bothering to study them, I followed Dawn.

I don't know if it was some sort of "best friend telepathy", but it seemed like Dawn knew exactly where to go. I guess none of us really knew how great of a spy she was until then.

"Something's wrong," she said.

We all looked at her. "How do you know that?"

"I just have a feeling..."

A loud scream pierced the air, and she broke out on a sprint. Because it was a female scream. Aria's scream.

* * *

**Short chapter, but I hope it was worth it...Next chappie will probably make you hate me.**

**Anyone else think that Joe Brooks looks insanely hot in the music vid for "Superman" ?**

**Check out "When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left" by Megz the Dino !**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	17. Chapter 17

**You will hate me when you read this. I'm sure of it...Just stick with it to find out what really happens?**

**Dedicated to XxCandyyGirlxX :)**

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**Dawn's POV**

It felt like my body was on auto-pilot. I had no control over my feet, as they took me closer and closer to the screams. I had no control over my arms, which kept pumping at my sides, going faster with each stride.

I had no control over my mind, as it repeated over and over like a broken record, the words that I had told Mr. Solomon before we left.

_Too little, too late._

But no. I couldn't be too late, because she was still screaming. She was still alive.

I just had to keep moving.

I didn't even know if everyone was following me, but I didn't stop to check. There was no time. So all I could do was head in the direction of the horrific, toe-curling sound, winding me through corridors.

And all I could do was pray that we got there in time.

**Aria's POV**

I thought the pain would keep going until I lost consciousness. In fact, it probably would have been better if it had. But the Circle was ruthless. So right as I started seeing black spots, she pulled the device away and grabbed me by the hair. The ropes burned against my skin as her goons struggled to cut me loose.

The door banged open, and Catherine Goode stood there.

"Bring her out. It's time for the execution."

I was dragged—literally—to a big, empty room. Men lined the walls, and each of them had guns pointed at me. In the center of the room, I stood with my arms bound behind my back and scars all over. Bruises and blood coated my skin, and the only thing I had to be proud of was the fact that I held out this long.

A man stepped up, raising his gun, and concentrating on me. Only me.

Right when I was sure he was going to pull the trigger, though, the door was broken down and people flooded into the room. There wasn't a moment of hesitation before Kat landed the first kick to a man's skull, knocking him unconscious.

And that was when the fighting broke out.

I heard the sounds of punches and kicks, and napotine patches being slapped on. All the agonizing screams and piercing sirens that pierced the air. The blood. Oh, the blood.

So much blood…

In front of me, I saw Dawn making a run for me, but several agents blocked her path. They were knocked to the ground my Tristan, who hurled himself at them. As soon as she got close enough, I felt her trying to untie me, to no avail.

I would have made a remark about how they took my advice in improving their knots, but that wouldn't have helped anyone at all. So I just shook her off and nodded towards the blood bath in front of me.

"I'll help. Just…go."

She nodded, and with that, took off fighting again.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Joe Solomon surrounded by three men. Bex, Tina, and Jess were battling men three times their sizes, and Cammie stood with Zach, fighting off anyone that came near.

I heard a loud scream, followed by a grunt, and turned to see a very livid Kat on top of a man, while beside her, Jess clutched her arm in pain. There was no use standing there, so I turned around, finding the blonde woman smiling evilly at me.

I lunged at her, kicking at her chest and sending her flying. Before I could make another move, she was up and flinging herself at me. If I didn't know any better, I would say she couldn't fight. But I wasn't an idiot.

All around me, kicks were landed and punches were thrown. And in the midst of all this, nobody saw Catherine Goode come up behind me and knock me down to my knees.

Nobody saw the gun she held in her hand.

That is, until she shot one, two bullets upwards, catching everyone's attention.

Enemies looked to see who won, and friends looked to see who they lost. But it didn't matter, because at that moment, I was in the center of the room with a gun to the head, and a woman holding my wrists tightly behind me.

"I've given you so many chances, Aria," she said, her words directed at me. "But this ends here."

I thought about the lyrics to a song that I'd heard only from my sister.

_Don't let the bad bees catch you, dear.  
Wake up and see the light._

I knew I was probably humming, swaying to the tune that grew louder in my mind.

_But don't go down with those stings for nothing.  
Don't go down without a fight._

I could just picture the proud smile on her face, knowing I did something right. I knew that she never really wanted me to give the lists. I knew she never meant to tell me to give up.

_But if the bees will come for you,  
Take what they want with you. _

I knew that the song in my head was more than just a child's lullaby.

_And those big bad bees won't get to you  
If you have nothing else to lose._

So when I opened my eyes and saw the group standing in front of me, all looking scared, angry, and sorrowful, I smiled a tiny smile and let a tear escape the corner of my eye.

Then, I closed my eyes as I felt the cool metal press into my temple.

And I heard the gunshot echo.

* * *

**PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! If you hate me, I will most likely get depressed. If I get depressed, I'll start slacking in school. If I start slacking, I'll fail. If I fail, I won't get into a good college. If I don't get into college, I won't get a good job, and if I don't get a job, I won't have enough money to spend on a home, because I'll use it all on the essentials (e.g. food, water). And if I don't have that kind of money, I'll live out on the streets!**

**That's not even a worst case scenario. For all we know, I could get chased by a killer clown.**

**If you don't want me being chased by a killer clown while I'm living in a box on the streets, review!**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	18. Chapter 18

**It's a proven fact that the real life Gallagher Girls are the best readers in the entire world. And who has proved that fact? Me, of course.**

**I'm on Cloud 9. Head over heels in love with you. Completely, utterly, in love.**

**And I couldn't have better readers.**

**This is dedicated to every single one of you, who takes the time to read my stories. I. Love. You. :)**

* * *

**Aria's POV**

I'm dead. I knew it. She shot me, and I'm dead. That's why I didn't feel it, right?

Holy crap, I'm dead...

I peeked my eyes open and saw the smoking gun. _My_ gun. In Dawn's hand.

And that's when I noticed that the grip on my wrists wasn't there anymore, and the only thing holding me in place was pure shock.

Another shot rang out and the blonde lady fell to the ground beside me, eyes open and chest dripping blood. And I was officially snapped out of my shock.

The room was silent as the men dropped their weapons, each one standing straight and tall, facing the center of the room. The exact spot where I was sitting.

I watched in surprise as one by one, they each raised their left hand to their brow and saluted me. What the heck was going on?

"Dawn..." I pleaded as my best friend drew nearer to me. "Dawn."

"It's okay, Ari," she whispered. "I'm here. It's okay."

And I was reminded of the reason I chose this rebellious, ill-tempered, sarcastic Nightingale Girl as my best friend. The ropes were cut off of me and I collapsed into Dawn's outstretched arms, tears running down my face.

"I- I'm sorry..."

"Shh," she hushed me, smoothing down the long locks of tangles that fell over my shoulders. "It's not your fault. Now let's get you back."

I stood up on wobbly legs, my hands shaking and cold. "How did you guys find me?"

She smirked as she continued to walk, not bothering to look at me. "I have my ways."

I heard Zach scoff from behind me. "And those ways include an emotional breakdown, nightmares, and bossing us all around for a month, right?"

Dawn sent a glare in his direction, but he just grinned back, grasping Cammie's hand in his. The men parted for us at the door, one of them giving a proud nod in my direction.

My legs felt weak, and my head got dizzy, causing me to stop and lean against Dawn for support. But when my legs gave out, I closed my eyes, awaiting the fall.

Except it never came.

I opened my eyes again to see Tristan raising one eyebrow at me. "Where would you be without me?"

I shrugged. "Probably on a romantic cruise with Zachary over there."

Everybody just stared at me. They all looked surprised, except for Dawn and Tristan, who looked equally disgusted. I rolled my eyes. "You guys are so stupid. I thought we established that Zach and I were meant to be enemies forever. I guess I overestimated you all."

Jess laughed, and Tristan breathed out. "I thought you were going crazy for a second."

"Hey!" Zach yelled from somewhere behind me. "You're acting like it's impossible for a girl to like me!"

"Don't worry, Zach," Cammie consoled. "I still like you, no matter how annoying you can be."

Bex supressed a laugh and muttered, "Don't forget stalkerish."

Dawn smiled at me from beside Tristan as he carried me out into the hot sun. "Aren't they cute?"

I felt a surge run through me, and this time, it wasn't electricity. It was content. "The cutest."

Once we got outside, Mr. Solomon came up to me, taking me from Tristan, and placing me into the helicopter. "I expect you to catch up in your assignments when we get back."

I grinned. _Only_ Mr. Solomon.

"Don't worry, sir. I'll help her along just fine," Tristan said.

I could see Mr. Solomon shooting daggers at Tristan, right before blackness overtook me.

* * *

"Is she awake?"

I felt a poke in my shoulder. "I don't know..."

"Well, check on her, stupid!"

The voices were familiar, but I couldn't place them. _Poke. Poke. Poke._

_Do NOT punch anybody, Aria. You might hurt yourself..._

The prodding continued until I couldn't take it anymore and grabbed the offending hand, twisting at the wrist. "Holy shit, that hurts!"

Ah, and Zachary Goode has returned. I guess it really was a dream...and he _didn't_ really fall off a cliff...

"Don't poke me," I grumbled, my voice sounding extremely hoarse.

"Damn it, woman! Let go of me!" he yelled.

I cringed at the loud sound, and the pain it caused my head, but reached out for the glass of water on the table. That's exactly when I noticed where I was. "What am I doing in here?"

I looked around at the bright white walls, and sterile equipment. Bex was on the couch, splayed across Kat, Grant, and Cammie, each of them asleep. Jess, Dawn, and the ever-present smirking Zach Goode were standing above me, all staring down.

I could see Tristan, asleep on the floor with Jonas, Liz, and Macey kicking their feet up on his back as a footrest.

"So I take it everyone slept in here?" I asked, casually swinging my feet over the edge of the bed to sit upright.

Dawn nodded, looking around, before running a tired hand through her auburn hair. "Yeah...I told them I wouldn't leave, and they ended up staying too...Kind of like a huge sleepover."

I faked a gag as Zach leaned over Cammie, waking her up with a kiss. "Gross."

As the rest of the group slept, I sat up with Zach, Jess, and Dawn, just talking. If I wasn't so tired of spy business, I would have gone with the protocol, and stayed in my room with them. I would have answered the questions that the CIA asked, without putting up a fight.

But since that wasn't the case, I got up without permission from the doctors, and took the three of them onto the roof. We sat there, looking out at the scenery, just enjoying the silence.

Suddenly, Dawn whispered. "They have to get their memories erased..."

The new information made me sit up a little straighter. Listen a little harder. It made me ask the question I knew they all knew the answer to. "Who and why?"

"Headmistress Morgan doesn't think it's safe to have so many people knowing about the Circle, and what happened over the last few months...She says that the less they know, the better."

Zach nodded. "She's right. The Circle will only come after them if they know."

Jess was quiet for a while before speaking. "I don't think they're making the right choice."

"What?" We all turned to Jessie, the flyer of the group. The hawk.

She shrugged, staring out at the grounds. "Think about it. If they get their memories erased, we won't get to have any contact with them. And what about this semester? They would just completely forget everything they ever learned! It's not fair."

"Stop being selfish," Zach snapped. I'd never heard him talk to Jessica like that. _Ever._ "If it means they'll be safer, then it's for the best. You can't just take away what little innocence they have left without a second thought."

She glared at him so hard, I just knew this was one of the very few things that could set her off. "And you don't think I've given this a lot of thought? If you happened to forget, Aria disappeared over a month ago because of your mother! She could have been killed. She could have been _killed_, Zach. Don't you _dare_ tell me that I'm taking someone else's innocence away."

I had to stop this before it got out of hand, but it already was. "Knock it off, guys. We can't change a thing anyways. What's the point in arguing?"

They all looked taken aback. "Since when are you one to just give up like that without a fight?" Zach asked.

I stood up, brushing my jeans off. "Ever since that day you guys broke me out."

I didn't say the words that I wanted to. The words that were eating at me. The ones that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I didn't say that I stopped fighting when I couldn't keep my sister from dying.

"I'll see you later..."

"Wait!" I turned to look at Dawn. "They get the brainwashing process done later today. We're all going...You should come to...Just to say goodbye."

I nodded, but I knew she didn't think I'd come. And so I walked away from their with too many things reeling in my mind.

* * *

**To be honest, I hated this chapter. It was all happy and giddy in the beginning of it, and I couldn't get it to flow together that well...Sorry for the suckiness :(**

_**Special Thanks to:**_

_**Isn't that Ironic**_, for guessing it right, and leaving a review.

_**Lizaluvsdoggies**_, for the wonderfully written reviews, support, and love. :)

_**daydreaming silently**_, for the review that made me write this ASAP.

_**Shannon the chameleon**_, because clowns suck, and she reviewed.

_**itasca36**_, for the awkwardly cool review ;)

_**Zach-Goode's-Girll . xxx **_(ignore the spaces) for being the first to review the last chappy.

_**XxCandyygirlxX**_, just because she left me an awesome review.

And last, but definitely not least, to_**JessRobStar**_, for being the reason Nightingale exists :)

**I LOVE YOU ALL! Even you silent readers :D**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	19. Chapter 19

**I should really be doing my homework...But guess what! Go on, guess! Nahhh, I'll tell you anyways. Alright, so I have the idea for Nightingale's sequel plotted out already :) All you gotta do is pick a title. The options will be listed below.**

**I can't stress this enough. I LOVE YOU! Credit goes to JessRobStar for the challenge that led to this story :)**

* * *

**Aria's POV**

Hands in my pockets, and eyes casted downwards, I made my way to the large room where the memory erasing was to be done. I saw my girls all sitting around, looking nervous. Dawn looked up at me and smiled sadly, standing up.

"The guys are gonna go before the whole brainwashing method takes place..." she said, glancing at the two boys crowded around the door.

I turned around, ready to say goodbye, but the doors opened and the Gallagher Girls walked in.

Tina was guided to a heavy door on the other side of the room to get her memory drained first, and that left us with Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey.

I looked at Zach, waiting for him to leave, but he just shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere until it's Cammie's turn."

When I turned to Tristan, he strode up to me. "I guess I'll see you later."

With that, he pulled me close and pressed his lips firmly against mine. When he pulled away, my eyes went wide for a second. Tristan flashed me a lopsided grin before turning around and striding away.

"Damn..." Kat muttered.

"Quite a boy you got there, Evans." Dawn threw an arm around my shoulders, giving me a reassuring squeeze. "Definitely something."

Cammie leaned forward in her seat. "There's something about these Blackthorne Boys and their dramatic exits."

Zach sat next to her, putting his arm around her waist. "Yeah, but those guys are nothing compared to me, right?"

Someone called Liz's name and she went into the room, looking pale and shaky. I nodded. "That's right, Zachary. I mean, their egos are almost nonexistant when compared to yours. It's a wonder how you even fit through that door."

Zach rolled his eyes at me. "I was kind of hoping that they could erase _your_ memory so you would have no recollection of all these insults you've given me. In fact, you wouldn't remember me at all."

Macey went in at the sound of her name.

"Actually," I stated. "I've known you far longer than you've known about any of us. In fact, I've seen you at your worst moments...your most embarrassing ones...the ones that you would rather die that hear about. I-"

Jess slapped my arm. "Aria! You're going to scare him!"

I shrugged and grinned at Zach. "I was kidding, you know."

"About knowing us before?" he asked, confused.

I shook my head. "No. That's true. I was only joking about the whole 'embarrassment' thing."

Bex stood up, and headed towards the same door that Liz, Macey, and Tina had walked through, but stopped at the door. "How long have you known about us?"

"That's a story that you will probably never know," I told her, knowing everyone else was listening.

My words were true, and I knew that. I also knew that there was a possibility I would never even see any of them again. But when dealing with probabilities in this business, you can never pinpoint the future until it happens. And until then, you have to wait.

"I guess that's my cue," Cammie said after her name was called.

I held my hand out to her for a shake, but I was surprised when she pulled me in for a brief hug. After Cammie left, the room was silent until Zach spoke up.

"I'm gonna go now..."

He stood up and started for the door, but Dawn's voice reached him before he could even turn the knob. "I hope you're not planning on leaving without a proper goodbye."

Zach turned around, smirking _the_ Zachary Goode smirk, and held his arms out as she squeezed him into a bone-crushing hug. Jess and Kat gave him friendly pats on the back, and he turned to me, waiting.

"Well?"

"What?"

"Are you gonna hug me or not?" he asked.

With a smile, I allowed him to pull me into a hug then give a mocking salute. "Salutations, young ones."

"Shut up and leave already!" I exclaimed, earning several laughs.

An hour or two later, girls were packing up to go on break, and I was surprised to find it so cold suddenly. It was like winter hit us suddenly. Of course, our break came earlier than both Gallagher and Blackthorne, so I watched from the roof as girls filed out of the school.

"I'll see you later, Ari," Dawn called, waving up at me with Kat and Jess flanking her on either sides.

I waved back, watching the sun blazing out on the fresh snow. And that's when I went down.

Ice crunched under my feet as I carried a small duffel bag on my shoulder. As I slid a pair of dark sunglasses over my eyes, I glanced back at the school to see none other than Abigail Cameron leaning against the wall.

"You did good, kid," she called out to me. If I had been closer, I would have heard her repeat herself quieter before going back into the warm building.

I am Aria Evans. Nightingale Girl.

* * *

**Zach's POV**

I stepped out of the airplane after it landed, and immediately felt the cold air hit me. Pulling my jacket on, I heard the wrinkling sound of paper coming from my pocket. When I slipped my hands in, my fingers brushed against a small scrap of paper, and I pulled it out, reading over the delicate scrawl as the paper disappeared into thin air.

_Keep her safe, Goode. I'm watching you..._

I didn't need a signature to know it was from Aria. It had that playfully sarcastic tone to it, along with the slightly serious warning that only proved who wrote it.

And I couldn't do anything except watch, look, and listen. Notice everything.

Because at that moment, I was on a mission.

A mission to protect Cammie.

_Bring it on, Nightingale Girl. Bring it on._

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**Yeah, so I didn't know that this was gonna be the end until I was already at Zach's part...so...review?**

**I'd like to thank each and every one of my readers :) Every favorite/follow/review left me grinning madly. Love you!**

**I shall return with the sequel...**

**Pick a title:**

**A) If I Spy Young**

**B) I Spy, With my Little Lies**

**C) Pretty Little Spiers**

**D) None of the above (suggestions welcome)**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


	20. SEQUEL

**The sequel to Nightingale is called "I Spy With My Little Lies."**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**Thanks to all those who read Nightingale and will move on to read the sequel :) I promise you won't be disappointed.**

**Forever and Always,  
Me**


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